Federal workers in Detroit protest partial government shutdown

Rally organized by American Federation of Government Employees District 7

Annalise Frank/Crain's Detroit Business

Federal workers and supporters gathered Thursday afternoon by the McNamara Federal Building in Detroit to protest the government's partial shutdown, which has entered Day 20.

More than 50 federal employees and supporters gathered in downtown Detroit on Thursday to protest the partial federal government shutdown that will soon leave hundreds of thousands across the U.S. without paychecks.

The regional American Federation of Government Employees District 7 organized the rally by the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building on Michigan Avenue.

Plowing ahead into Day 20, the shutdown of nine departments has left 420,000 employees working without pay — with the Transportation Security Administration, for example — and 380,000 out of work. They face lost paychecks Friday.

Workers from the Environmental Protection Agency, TSA, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and U.S. Department of Agriculture were among those in attendance Thursday.

"Let us be paid for doing our jobs," one TSA employee shouted. Others chanted in unison: "Open the government now."

Photo

Annalise Frank/Crain's Detroit Business

Federal workers respond to a car honking during a protest event held Thursday afternoon in response to the partial U.S. government shutdown, which is in its 20th day.

Efforts to end the shutdown are falling into deeper disarray, with President Donald Trump reportedly stalking out of a negotiating meeting with congressional leaders Wednesday. The political budget battle continues over Trump's demand for billions of dollars to build a wall on the Mexican border.

Trump has since denied that he slammed the table at the meeting and stormed out, tweeting that he "politely said bye-bye and left, no slamming."

Local protests would make a national impact if more cities join, said Gregory Simpkins, a TSA officer at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport and president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 778.

"Detroit has always been a focal point," he said, and could lead others to follow suit. Protests have also been recorded so far in Washington, D.C., Chicago and Columbia, S.C. (outside Sen. Lindsey Graham's office), among other cities.

Simpkins said the shutdown-induced "panic mode" started among TSA workers around two weeks ago. They began worrying about missed paychecks affecting childcare, grocery shopping and other essentials. But for now, he urged those impacted to "remain focused" and continue serving the public.

Jasmin Lauri of Dearborn, a TSA officer for 16 years, said she'll keep going to work as mandated, but "I just want (the government) to know how we're living paycheck to paycheck and struggling."